Costa Rica has long been recognized as a Central American outlier, a stable democracy with strong civil liberties, independent institutions, and a free press. Yet, as the 2026 national elections unfold, these longstanding assumptions are increasingly under strain. Political polarization, tensions between government and media, and a shifting media environment are reshaping the space for independent journalism, with serious implications for democratic accountability. Recent electoral developments, including the election of populist candidate Laura Fernández, signal a potential turning point with consequences for press freedom and broader civic space. The state of press freedom before the election Under President Rodrigo Chaves, who took office in 2022, Costa Rica’s position in the global Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index declined sharply, from 8th in the world in 2022 to 36th in 2025. Reflecting a sustained downward trend over several years. International press freedom organizations and observers have documented increasing hostility between the

Since taking office in December 2023, Argentine President Javier Milei has overseen a sharp deterioration in relations between the government and the press. What began as hostile rhetoric toward critical media has evolved into a broader climate of stigmatization, legal harassment, and repression, raising serious concerns among journalists, press freedom organizations, and international human rights bodies. A surge in attacks and stigmatizing rhetoric According to FOPEA (Foro de Periodismo Argentino), 2025 marked the most damaging year for press freedom in Argentina since the organization began monitoring attacks against journalists. Between January and December 2025, FOPEA recorded 278 attacks, representing a 55% increase compared to 2024 and a 139% rise compared to 2023. FOPEA further reported that President Milei was linked to 43% of these attacks, primarily through stigmatizing discourse, insults, and public defamation A FOPEA study analyzing 113,649 posts from Milei’s X account between December 2023 and September 2025 found

On January 3, 2026, a highly controversial U.S. military operation led to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, triggering international uproar and deepening an already precarious crisis in Venezuela’s fragile media landscape. In the days that followed, the situation for journalists, both domestic and foreign, deteriorated markedly, revealing the entrenched and systemic repression that continues to stifle independent reporting. A pre-existing crisis, now exacerbated Even before these dramatic events, Venezuela’s press freedom had been in persistent decline. The domestic press had faced systematic harassment, censorship, and administrative restrictions for years, with numerous reported violations against journalists and media outlets. According to press freedom organizations, hundreds of incidents, including deportations, detentions, and digital censorship, had been recorded in the months leading up to late 2025, underscoring a broader pattern of repression under the Maduro regime. The capture of Maduro, however, has intensified these pressures rather